1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a knee-protecting airbag device which protects knees of a driver with an airbag expanding and inflating with inflation gas.
2. Description of the Related Art
In a knee-protecting airbag device for protecting knees of a driver in the prior art, a folded airbag is housed in and held by a housing case located in front of the driver. Upon inflow of inflation gas, the airbag rises along a lower surface of steering column, and deploys for protecting the driver's knees. The airbag as completely deployed includes, in the vicinity of left or right corner in its upper edge side, a cover portion for covering vehicle's rear side of an area proximate to key cylinder, as disclosed in WO 02/03231 A1.
However, there are some cases in which accessories such as a sub-key are hung down from a car key inserted into the key cylinder. If an airbag in the knee-protecting airbag device in the prior art deploys, lower ends of the accessories may engage an inflated part of the airbag perpendicularly, and the airbag may be damaged and leak inflation gas.